What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

January 31: One hundred and fifteen days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added another rare item to the BtP shop … you can buy from a limited stock of absolutely mint 1969 period-psychedelic full-colour posters (26 x 34 cm) advertising a Procol gig … which were recently presented to BtP to help defray our running expenses (thanks, Gary)

Added the full roster of 100 best singles as voted by the UK public lately

Added a note to clarify Beatle George Harrison's contributions to Gary Brooker's second solo-album (thanks, Marvin)

[ You can now buy George's All Things Must Pass (featuring Gary on piano), on a remastered and bonus-tracked double CD, from Amazon UK ]

January 30: One hundred and thirty-eight days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Procol in Sweden 1967: added another article: about 'the pop world's most quiet bringers of happiness' (thanks, Jonas)

Added a CD scan and the track-listing for the new Repertoire CD re-release of Procol's Ninth

In a mere two days' time it will be too late to order the excellent Whalers' Double CD (a future collector's item, without a doubt!). So hurry! Please visit each of the Whaler-artists' picture-profile pages (Ken Stasion, Michael Ackermann, Antonio Costa Barbé, Stephen Wallace, Brøkkelfish-Beat-Band, Greg Panfile, Carmelo Hernandez Ramos, Alan Benjamin and his band, Chris Copping and Dave Ball, Sadolin, Bjørn & Arenholt, Larry Pennisi, The Nadler Orchestra, and Wolfgang Lieke) to find out what's on this very interesting and varied record … then order swiftly!

January 29: One hundred and seventeen days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added some more pictures from Guildford last year, showing a miscellany of images from the Palers' Convention (thanks, Allen)

January 28: One hundred and forty days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Procol in Sweden 1967: added the first reviews ... not only of 'our boys' and their eel-tight trousers, but also of 'leathery and unimaginative cacophony' and of a self-styled fakir nailing his tongue to a board (thanks, Jonas)

January 27: One hundred and nineteen days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added a memoir of a 1973 encounter with Chris Copping on the way to Vietnam (thanks, Brent)

January 26: One hundred and forty-two days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

It would be quite something if BtP could bring you a sequence of five pieces about the first performances of the Trower / Wilson line-up … with a 'new' picture of the band in the Mediaeval Spaceman outfits …

So here's the index-page for exactly that (thanks, Jonas!)

January 25: One hundred and twenty-one days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added a useful page listing previous Procol Harum concerts in Norway … please update us with more gigs for this list.

A week today it will be too lateto order the excellent Whalers' Double CD (a future collector's item, without a doubt!). So hurry! Please visit each of the Whaler-artists' picture-profile pages (Ken Stasion, Michael Ackermann, Antonio Costa Barbé, Stephen Wallace, Brøkkelfish-Beat-Band, Greg Panfile, Carmelo Hernandez Ramos, Alan Benjamin and his band, Chris Copping and Dave Ball, Sadolin, Bjørn & Arenholt, Larry Pennisi, The Nadler Orchestra, and Wolfgang Lieke) to find out what's on this very interesting and varied record … then order swiftly!

January 24: One hundred and forty-four days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added some more colour performance photographs taken in Zurich, 22 January 1976 (thanks, Ueli)

To keep yourself abreast of Procol Harum activity, please be aware that we run an occasional newsletter that is sent out to subscribers; the way it's arranged, only you can add your name to this list … if you would like to receive this, please find all the details here.

If you'd like your name added to our list of online fans, please visit this page where there is a simple form to fill in with your e-mail address, town and state. If you're already on the list, please check that your mail-address is up-to-date … and send a suitably Procoloid greeting to your nearest neighbour …

January 23: One hundred and twenty-three days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added some black and white performance photographs taken in Zurich, 22 January 1976 (thanks, Ueli)

Are you coming to hear Procol Harum in Norway or Britain in the summer? If so, please look at the growing Fans' Lists (Kristiansand here, Manchester here) … so you will know whom you're likely to meet, even arrange whom to travel with … this sort of list worked very well indeed for Guildford 2000 and we hope it will be just as useful again in 2001. To add your name to the Norwegian list, please click here; to add your name to the Mancunian list, please click here. [Yes, 'Mancunian' is to Manchester what 'Liverpudlian' is to Liverpool and 'Bristolian' to Bristol]

January 22: One hundred and forty-six days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Happy birthday Mick Grabham (1948)!

Added some very good performance photographs taken on Mick's 28th birthday (thanks, Ernst and Ueli)

January 21: One hundred and twenty-five days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added an intriguing page about the possible origins of the words of The Devil Came from Kansas (thanks, Jerrod)

January 20: One hundred and forty-eight days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added a pictorial miscellany from Guildford last year (thanks, Allen)

Many thanks to the BtP visitors who are still continuing to fund our work by ordering copies of the Official Double CD of the Palers' Band: click here for online orders for the 20-dollar album: listen before you buy to CD1 clips and CD2 clips.

January 19: One hundred and twenty-seven days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added some slightly fuzzy recollections (Gary announces that Procol will play one of their old songs called Bank Villain) of many 70s Procol gigs from UK tours (thanks, Bruce)

Don't forget Dave Ball's forthcoming London gig!

January 18: One hundred and fifty days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added a transcript of the recent Fisher / Brooker TV interview about A Whiter Shade of Pale (thanks Sam and Charlie too)

January 17: One hundred and twenty-nine days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added a couple-of-dozen book titles to our page recording uses and abuses of 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' in a non-Procol context. Search for A Lighter Shade of Blue : The Lighthearted Memoirs of an Air Marshal for instance (thanks, Foodpot)

What was the date of the Hollywood Bowl concert? You won't find out from this King Biscuit compilation album!

Two weeks today is the last date for orders from Whaling Stories, for the excellent Whalers' Double CD (a future collector's item, without a doubt!). Please visit each of the Whaler-artists' picture-profile pages (Ken Stasion, Michael Ackermann, Antonio Costa Barbé, Stephen Wallace, Brøkkelfish-Beat-Band, Greg Panfile, Carmelo Hernandez Ramos, Alan Benjamin and his band, Chris Copping and Dave Ball, Sadolin, Bjørn & Arenholt, Larry Pennisi, The Nadler Orchestra, and Wolfgang Lieke) to find out what's on this very interesting and varied record … then order swiftly!

January 16: One hundred and fifty-two days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added some responses to a recent review of the Procol Harum Millennium Gig at Guildford last year (thanks, folks)

January 15: One hundred and thirty-one days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

'Procol Harum: They Got Elegance'

Added a lavishly-illustrated retrospective from Hitparader, February 1974 (thanks, Marvin)

January 14: One hundred and fifty-four days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added a report on Procol Harum's most recent Manchester gig (thanks, Red Mike)

January 13: One hundred and thirty-three days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added some fresh pictures of the Guildford weekend last year (thanks, António)

Are you coming to the Procol Harum concerts in Kristiansand or Manchester? If so, do you want a Palers' Convention the preceding day? Visit the following links and let us know: we need to start detailed planning. Palers' Conventions: Kristiansand (May) and Manchester (June)

January 12: One hundred and fifty-six days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added the text of the huge and very interesting Gary Brooker interview that was featured lately at Classicrockpage (thanks, Steve)

Coming to see Procol Harum play in Kristiansand? International visitors can now book tickets, also added another Norwegian ticket agency. See here for booking details.

January 11: One hundred and thirty-five days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

"A very Happy New Millennium to all your listeners in Norway from us here in England."

Added Gary Brooker's message to the listeners who voted A Whiter Shade of Pale the greatest single ever in a Norwegian poll (thanks, Diane)

January 10: One hundred and fifty-eight days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added good news of an upcoming gig in London from Dave Ball (thanks, Dave)

Added two nice tributes to our fan-tributes page about BJ Wilson (thanks, Larry and Nik)

Added a link to a good site concerning early activities of Mick Grabham (thanks, Sam)

January 9: One hundred and thirty-seven days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added the final episode, for the moment, of the illuminating retrospective about Procol Harum, dealing with the Home album (thanks, Phil)

31 January is the last date for orders for the excellent Whalers' Double CD (a future collector's item, without a doubt!). Please visit each of the Whaler-artists' picture-profile pages (Ken Stasion, Michael Ackermann, Antonio Costa Barbé, Stephen Wallace, Brøkkelfish-Beat-Band, Greg Panfile, Carmelo Hernandez Ramos, Alan Benjamin and his band, Chris Copping and Dave Ball, Sadolin, Bjørn & Arenholt, Larry Pennisi, The Nadler Orchestra, and Wolfgang Lieke) to find out what's on this very interesting and varied record … then order swiftly!

January 8: One hundred and sixty days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

" … everything is calculated to set the adrenaline pumping, the ears ringing and the feet stamping …"

What band is that about? Surprising answer here (thanks, Carrie)

Added a French AWSoP sleeve apparently featuring a river of blood (search for 'Pierre') (thanks, Malène)

Please, no more solutions to the recent Christmas Conundrums! We published the answer and notified prizewinners two days ago.

January 7: One hundred and thirty-nine days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

"What does all this have to do with Procol?"
you say, "And who cares about what you did and saw?"
"Well, we're just a pair of country yokels
you see, we were traveling in the raw."

You have undoubtedly read The Iliad … so now it's time to experience the whole eighty-seven stanzas of this evocative and amusing poem about the entire Guildford experience (thanks, Jim … exceptional!)

ps Brooker and Fisher gave a delightful interview on the 100 Greatest Hits programme. AWSoP was # 19. Surprisingly, the playout music for the whole show was the coda to Pilgrim's Progress … transcript will follow soonish.

January 6: One hundred and sixty-two days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Christmas Puzzles: we announce this year's solutions and the names of the Triumphant Victors. Big thanks to everyone who took part … there are still right answers coming in, but only the first eleven can win the fab prizes, one unique, one almost unique!

If you enjoyed this fourth series of Christmas puzzles, have a look back at the series from 1997, 1998 and 1999

UK Palers: The 100 Greatest No 1 Hits : Brooker and Fisher on Channel 4 today, Saturday 6 January 2001 at 8pm: more detail here.

Copies of the Official Double CD of the Palers' Band are still available: click here for online orders for the 20-dollar album: listen before you buy to CD1 clips and CD2 clips.

January 5: One hundred and forty-one days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Christmas Puzzles: for the final clue, conclude today's treasure hunt here

Full advice about how to play is at the Puzzle page, and there's a Demo Puzzle so that you will be in no doubt what to do

You can join in at any time during the celebrations with every chance of winning one of our roster of great prizes, one unique, one almost unique! Which one do you most desire to receive in the New Year mail?

UK Palers: The 100 Greatest No 1 Hits : Brooker and Fisher on Channel 4 Saturday 6 January 2001 at 8pm: more detail here.

January 4: One hundred and sixty-four days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Tickets for Procol Harum in Kristiansand, 26 May, are now on sale

Christmas Puzzles: for the penultimate clue, start today's treasure hunt here

Tomorrow's update, which enables you to complete the treasure hunt, will occur at midnight, European Time … best of luck to all competitors!

Full advice about how to play is at the Puzzle page, and there's a Demo Puzzle so that you will be in no doubt what to do

You can join in at any time during the celebrations with every chance of winning one of our roster of great prizes, one unique, one almost unique! Which one do you most desire to receive in the New Year mail?

UK Palers: The 100 Greatest No 1 Hits : Brooker and Fisher on Channel 4 Saturday 6 January 2001 at 8pm: more detail here.

January 3: One hundred and forty-three days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Christmas Puzzles: for the antepenultimate clue, start today's treasure hunt here

Full advice about how to play is at the Puzzle page, and there's a Demo Puzzle so that you will be in no doubt what to do

You can join in at any time during the celebrations with every chance of winning one of our roster of great prizes, one unique, one almost unique! Which one do you most desire to receive in the New Year mail?

UK Palers: get ready to watch Yorkshire TV's The 100 Greatest No 1 Hits on which Brooker and Fisher play and are interviewed: it's being broadcast on Saturday 6 January 2001 at 8pm on Channel 4: more detail here.

January 2: One hundred and sixty-six days until Procol Harum and the Hallé Orchestra play Manchester UK

Added numerous grave accents throughout the website to rectify a repeated but unwitting solecism (pardon, Malène!)

Christmas Puzzles: for the ninth clue, start today's treasure hunt here

Full advice about how to play is at the Puzzle page, and there's a Demo Puzzle so that you will be in no doubt what to do

You can join in at any time during the celebrations with every chance of winning one of our roster of great prizes, one unique, one almost unique! Which one do you most desire to receive in the New Year mail?

January 1: Happy New Year! One hundred and forty-five days until Procol Harum play band-only in Kristiansand, Norway

Added an end-of-year / start-of year communiqué from BtP to you, the Palers!

Christmas Puzzles: for the eighth clue, start today's treasure hunt here

Full advice about how to play is at the Puzzle page, and there's a Demo Puzzle so that you will be in no doubt what to do. You can join in at any time during the celebrations with every chance of winning one of our roster of great prizes, one unique, one almost unique! Which one do you most desire to receive in the New Year mail?

UK Palers: remember to set your video-recorders to catch Gary on Jools Holland's BBC2 Hootenanny repeat : 1.20 pm on New Year's Day. He plays a slightly ponderous AWSoP with the Rhythm and Blues orchestra (Jools on organ), then (with Jools on piano) Brooker and the band perform a cracking Ray Charles tune, Gary seated at the Hammond, on which he does a fair bit of soloing. So ... worth catching, definitely.